Wilson enjoying life as MLB scout
Josh Wilson can be found scribbling notes and eyeing talent in locales such as Reading, Hartford, Harrisburg, Akron, Trenton, N. J., and Portland, Maine, as a first- year scout for the Detroit Tigers.
Lengthy car rides and the occasional flight define the grind, as this former Mt. Lebanon High School and Major League Baseball player searches for the next Justin Verlander or Miguel Cabrera or, for that matter, Josh Wilson in the Eastern League.
“Scheduling can be tricky, but you work it out,” Wilson said.
A husband and father of two young children, Wilson has been plotting his future since his professional playing career — which spanned 19 seasons, eight in the big leagues, and 12 organizations — concluded in 2017.
The presumption is that he will follow the path of Don Kelly — whom he teamed with for a PIAA title at Mt. Lebanon in 1998 and, coincidentally, replaced as a Tigers scout — and embark on a coaching career. Kelly is in his first season as the Houston Astros’ first base coach.
But if Wilson, the son of former Duquesne University coach Mike Wilson, is considering such a move, he is not letting on. His approach is one day, one week, one season at a time. A worklife balance, after nearly two decades of traveling from city to city as a player, is what intrigues him these days.
“Scouting is the best way to stay involved, while still having flexibility,” said Wilson, an Upper St. Clair resident whose schedule puts him on the road for 10- 14 days, then back at home for 4- 5 days. “With two young kids, it’s nice because I’m home more often than a coach or a manager. I’m in the game, but there’s that flexibility.”
That said, Wilson cannot escape the appeal of coaching. It races through his veins like a line- drive home run.
“I’m like my dad,” he said. “I see the game through a coach’s lens. I enjoy player development. I’m a coach at heart. I just don’t know what the end- game is for me. Right now, I like the challenge of scouting. I’m happy with where I am. I can’t say what might be next.”
No matter what path Wilson chooses, there is no denying his amazing baseball odyssey. From contributing two hits in Mt. Lebanon’s PIAA win against Coatesville 21 years ago to going to the Florida Marlins in the third round of the MLB draft out of high school to being called up for the first time in 2005 ( and reuniting with minorleague teammates Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis) to homering off of CC Sabathia during Sabathia’s 2007 Cy Young season to homering in Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards ( the first of his career) to being a part of Milwaukee’s postseason run in 2011, Wilson has notched mega- memories.
One of the more unique friendships he formed was with 11- time All- Star Cabrera. Both were signed as teenagers by the Marlins in 1999 and played together in Class AA and in the majors. Cabrera, of course, has gone on to become among the great sluggers of this era, while Wilson made his way as a light- hitting utility infielder — .229 average/ 10 homers/ 84 RBIs/ 431 games — with incredible versatility. He played second base, shortstop and third base well, while also pitching in four games and occasionally playing left field.
He introduced Cabrera, a native of Venezuela, to Duquesne University by way of a T- shirt. Cabrera has since worn “Duquesne Baseball” shirts throughout his career, including during a World Series title run in 2003 and a Triple Crown season in 2012. ( The Dukes’ program shut down in 2010, with Wilson’s father departing as the program’s winningest coach).
“It’s been fun, a great ride,” Wilson said. “A fulfillment of a dream.”
A little- known fact: Wilson was part of the blockbuster trade of the 2008 season. While playing at AAA Indianapolis for the Pirates ( the Pirates claimed him off waivers but never promoted him to the big club), he was part of a three- team deal that sent Manny Ramirez from Boston to the Dodgers; Jason Bay from the Pirates to the Red Sox; Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris from the Dodgers to the Pirates; Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen from the Red Sox to the Pirates. Wilson was shipped to the Red Sox.
A good- natured sort, Wilson likes to point out that, early in his career, he was closing in on Jose Canseco ( 0 for 40) for hitting futility while riding an 0- for- 34 streak while playing with the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I was getting there ...,” he said, laughing.
It was then that manager Joe Maddon offered a pickmeup.
“He said before the game that, ‘ You’re my pick to click,’” Wilson said. “He believed in me. He said the right thing at the time. He’s good with those things.”
Wilson promptly went out and hit a home run off of Jeremy Guthrie in Baltimore. It was a testament to good coaching, something Wilson might provide in the future. Perhaps ...
“Let’s,” he said, “just see where it goes.”